Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain and Benfica midfielder Pablo Aimar have been called into the Argentina squad.

National coach Diego Maradona bolstered his squad ahead of two key World Cup qualifiers next month.

Argentina play Peru on October 10 and Uruguay four days later to end their South American zone qualification campaign, and they need two wins to have a chance of getting their ticket to South Africa 2010.

Argentina lie in fifth position in the standings, going to a play-off against a CONCACAF nation.

After losing to Brazil and Paraguay two weeks ago, Maradona had announced he planned to do several changes, and he confirmed that as in addition to Higuain and Aimar, Liverpool defender Emiliano Insua received his first call.

Among those left out are Javier Zanetti, Fernando Gago and Jesus Datolo, all of them starters in the last game against Paraguay.

Maradona will used Argentina-based players in a friendly against Ghana next Wednesday.

Argentina squad: S Romero (AZ Alkmaar), M Andujar (Catania), E Insua (Liverpool), F Coloccini (Newcastle), G Heinze (Olympique), P Zabaleta (Manchester City), N Pareja (Espanyol), J Mascherano (Liverpool), Luis Gonzalez (Olympique), J Gutierrez (Newcastle), A Di Maria (Benfica), P Aimar (Benfica), L Messi (Barcelona), S Aguero (Atletico Madrid), C Tevez (Manchester City), G Higuain (Real Madrid), D Milito (Inter), E Lavezzi (Napoli).